I am a very bad blogger. I just realized this morning that my last post was on 5/1.
As a way of saying 'thank you' for sticking with me despite my delinquent ways, and in celebration of Memorial Day Weekend (the start of the summer season here in the US), I've decided to have a contest.
The photo above shows my latest design, Lavalette. (See it on Ravelry for more details.) I sent it out for test knitting this morning. I expect the pattern to be ready in 2-3 weeks. What does this shawl have to do with the contest? I've got an extra skein of the yarn, Jade Sapphire Cashmere Silk. If you haven't felt this yarn you are missing out. The stuff is heavenly!
The winner of the contest will receive the skein of yarn (enough to knit the shawl as seen in the photos) as well as the pattern once it is complete.
Just leave a comment on this post, telling me about your favorite summer vacation. I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner.
You have until Saturday, June 6th. I'll announce the winner the following week.
PS. Be sure to check back here on Tuesday (5/26). I'll be releasing the pattern for the "Jeanne" shawl that day.
beautiful!
Posted by: Carla | May 23, 2009 at 01:23 PM
Beautiful shawl and model!
My favorite vacation was at the shore. A group of us went on a sit and knit vacation. Wonderful!
Posted by: Deb in PA | May 23, 2009 at 01:36 PM
The shawl and photos are fantastic! And I won't hold your lack of blogging against you, I think we all slack off from time to time. ;)
Okay - favorite summer vacation was when my parents and I took a road trip from Texas (home) to Canada in 2000.
I fell in love with Canada, but sadly have not visited the country since. We traveled through B.C. and Alberta and since we had a truck camper, I got to sleep under beautiful mountains and next to clear (and cold!) streams and rivers. Good times. :)
Posted by: Steph | May 23, 2009 at 02:13 PM
Lovely shawl and the yarn looks yummy!
My favorite summer vacation was in Barcelona. I studied Spanish in the mornings and spent the rest of the day meandering around town, going to cafes, shopping, reading. In the evenings I went out with my classmates, we'd have dinner around 10pm, then go to a bar and do some dancing after. It was the best!
Posted by: Caryl | May 23, 2009 at 02:26 PM
difficult to choose!
today i think my favorite is albuquerque new mexico. i love the dry heat, hiking in the sandias, watching their color change in the sunset, walking along the rio grande, and eating sopapillas as often as possible.
Posted by: Eliza | May 23, 2009 at 02:38 PM
Love this shawl!
My favorite summer vacation was really a working one. In 1999 I spent the summer studying Renaissance literature at St. John's College in Oxford. I saw a whole lot of Shakespeare and got to spend many days traveling about the Cotswolds and London. Bliss!
Posted by: beverly | May 23, 2009 at 02:38 PM
Beautiful pattern, yet again!
I haven't taken more than a few real summer vacations -- usually we end up doing a few long weekends and some day trips. But of those few true vacations, my favorite hands down was in 1993. My husband was studying for the California bar, so that part wasn't at all fun for him, but I spent the time planning a driving/camping/backpacking trip to the Pacific Northwest. This was pre-Internet so it involved a lot of time poking around the San Francisco Public Library and browsing in the Rand McNally store, playing with maps, making lists, etc. And then the trip itself was great, even though the very first night one of the poles for the new tent lost a part and caused a detour to the REI in Eugene, OR the next day. I ended up with a nasty case of food poisoning in Forks, WA, and then our planned backpacking adventure at Mt. Rainier was snowed out (in August!). But despite all that we had a wonderful time exploring the woods, mountains, and wild coast of Washington together, and deciding that Seattle was where we wanted to make our home.
Posted by: Marjorie | May 23, 2009 at 02:59 PM
that's so beautiful! - i love it.
my favorite vacation would probably be going to china and spending time with my family. they live on an island off the coast so it's gorgeous and i love the 'living' aspect of that trip versus the 'touring.'
Posted by: Vivian | May 23, 2009 at 03:00 PM
I never really go anywhere in the summer, but just having summer is good enough for me. The weather here is horrible nine months of the year, so I'm happy to just sit on my deck once the sun finally shows up.
Posted by: Erin | May 23, 2009 at 03:00 PM
This is a tough one for me- I've only ever had 2 summer vacations. Ever. And both were just visiting my husbands family in Ohio. They were fun visits though. My favorite part had to be going to the drive in movie, on a nice cool summer night. Can't do that here in southern Va.!
Posted by: Liz | May 23, 2009 at 03:07 PM
My favorite summer vacation is perhaps when we went to Colonial Williamsburg.
Posted by: Constance | May 23, 2009 at 03:09 PM
It's hard to say which of my summer vacations has been the best, but I really enjoyed going to Blue Hill, Maine last summer, so I'll say that was my favorite.
Posted by: Katie K | May 23, 2009 at 03:10 PM
We never really went anywhere on summer vacation when I was growing up, so all my favorite summer vacations are from when I was older. I have two favorites. The first was about 3 years ago, when I was pregnant and we vacationed on Fire Island in NY during the 4th of July week. It was the last vacation my husband and I took together as just the two of us and even though it was blazing hot and I was incredibly nauseous, it was wonderful. On the 4th we went to Cony Island and then trekked into the city for the fireworks. It was great! My second favorite vacation was last year, the first one we took with our daughter. We went to Cape Cod and at 18 months old, she was just old enough to really enjoy the beach, make her first sandcastles, have her first ice cream cone...it was very sweet!
Posted by: Bertha | May 23, 2009 at 03:11 PM
Great Shawl. My favorite vacation was a summer with my older brothers and dad camping, fishing, and hiking in Colorado when I was younger.
Posted by: Stephen | May 23, 2009 at 03:17 PM
Beautiful! It looks perfect for summer . . . wonderful.
I love going to Cape May with my parents, and sitting on the balcony overlooking the ocean while knitting or reading . . . so relaxing!
Posted by: Jen | May 23, 2009 at 03:17 PM
My fav summer vacation so far is going to Bali.
We had a blast swimming all day long in the pool and the beach.
Posted by: Yuliana Ng | May 23, 2009 at 03:18 PM
The shawl is really pretty.
My favorite place to vacation is on Lake Superior. We go every July.
Posted by: Nia | May 23, 2009 at 03:18 PM
Gorgeous!
I think my favorite summer vacation was to Scotland: I fell in love with yarn there that inspired me to learn to knit.
Posted by: HEB | May 23, 2009 at 03:19 PM
Your daughter is ridiculously beautiful. And the shawl is lovely!
My favorite summer vacation was actually Disneyworld. I didn't like it when I was younger, but it's just fabulous as an adult, lol.
Posted by: Angie | May 23, 2009 at 03:31 PM
Beautiful pattern! I have never knit a lace shawl, but it looks like something I could manage..
It't hard to pick one favourite vacation, but I'll choose the last one: Last september in Mallorca with my family and my parents. We rented a house with swimming pool, and mostly just relaxed, but also got to see the island.
Posted by: torirot | May 23, 2009 at 03:38 PM
That's so pretty! My favorite summer vacation thus far has been to the beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts. We rented a house on the ocean and beached it every day. Heaven!
Posted by: Kathy | May 23, 2009 at 03:42 PM
My favorite vacation was the summer my sister and I drove with my aunt, uncle and cousins from Mexico City to Acapulco. Back in the day it was a six hour drive. We passed the time singing Beatles songs! Fun times! Once we got there we had the best time playing in the ocean and just having a good time.
Love the shawl!
Posted by: Helen | May 23, 2009 at 03:47 PM
My favorite place to spend a few days in the summer is Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. It is an old Quaker resort that resembles hogwarts and sits on a lake. On the 4th of July they have an old time parade, porch jumping(into the lake) and log rolling. Their fireworks display is magnificent. They also have a summer arts series where they offer evening programs(music, theater etc) in their parlor for free. The per night price isn't for the faint of heart but it is a magical place
Posted by: Megan | May 23, 2009 at 03:51 PM
My favorite summer vacation is the same one every year --- spending a couple of weeks at our lake cottage in northern Michigan. Ahhhh! That's the ticket! :-)
Posted by: Kym | May 23, 2009 at 03:52 PM
By far, my favorite vacation was two weeks in Vietnam. Hanoi is still in my dreams!
Posted by: Lori | May 23, 2009 at 03:57 PM